'SpongeBob' cleans up at box office; 'American Sniper' slips to No. 2

February 9, 2015 1:20 AM

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Sixteen years after SpongeBob SquarePants first appeared on television, the yellow animated character made its biggest splash on the big screen with the release of "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water."

The film opened with an estimated $56 million gross in the U.S. and Canada over the weekend, exceeding tracking projections and pushing "American Sniper" out of the top spot after its three-week reign there.